Those Screams Were Meant For You
by chalantness
Summary: This is how it could have been, Caroline. Things could have been perfect. The possibilities could have been endless.  This is why she doesn't like to dream.


**Fandom.** TylerCaroline with StefanCaroline-friendship and featuring others

Disclaimer: Vampire Diaries © L.J. Smith

* * *

**Those Screams Were Meant For You**

By sakuracherish814

* * *

She wakes up to bright light, and laughter, and the rhythmic thudding of bare feet running circles around the hardwood floor.

Her eye flutter open and her twins are jumping onto her bed. "Mommy!" they exclaim. _Mommy? Oh, right. I'm a mom._ She thinks it's funny that she forgot. She chalks it up to that delirious, just-woke-up feeling and welcomes her boys into her arms. They're spewing out nonsense but this morning she feels too giddy and finds their chatter adorable rather than a headache.

The scent of sausages and melted cheese draws her downstairs.

She is greeted with a kiss on her forehead as soon as she enters the kitchen. "Tyler?" she breathes. Hasn't it been months since she's seen him?

"Who else?" He chuckles and ruffles her hair, kissing her soundly. Plates of pancakes and bacon and toast and omelets are scattered on their dining table and she stares at it blankly.

Her boys are bouncing on the cushions of their chairs and Tyler has his hand on the small of her back, talking about an annual camping trip, and hah, you thought I'd forgotten, silly you. "Happy anniversary, Care."

"Happy anniversary," she echoes.

It sounds natural, like she has eagerly been waiting for this day all month long. Maybe she has.

"Three years. Three long, strenuous, exhausting—" he laughs when she slaps his bicep "—blissful years." He combs her hair. "And they said a marriage out of high school wouldn't work."

She wraps her arms around him and enjoys the warmth of his body, the way they fit perfectly against each other. "We showed them."

* * *

A coffee sits in front of her (she just had a big breakfast, after all) but Bonnie is still working on her omelet and third plate of endless pancakes.

The entire time, her hand is on the bulge forming underneath her flowery blouse.

"Congratulations."

Bonnie laughs. "Were you even listening? I was asking what you were doing for your three-year anniversary. Something sexy, knowing you two. Need me to babysit?"

Caroline smiles but is still staring. "I'm not sure what we're doing. And why didn't you ever tell me? I can't believe you would hide something so big from me!" At Bonnie's look, she gestures over the table at the girl's stomach. "You have a bun in the oven and why am I only finding out now?"

"What? Care, you threw Jer and I that ridiculous dinner party at the Grill the day _after_ we told you, remember?"

"I did?" _Oh. Right. I guess I did._

"Of course, silly," she laughs. "So, did you conveniently forget you were loaning me your maternity clothes too, or am I going to have to re-bargain with you?"

* * *

"What's this about a camping trip?"

Elena turns to look at her. "What are you talking about?" They're rearranging furniture and unpacking stacks of boxes sealed with packing tape and labeled with Sharpies in a new house that's open and bright and full of potential. She has a feeling she should be boasting her ass off about how she knew they would settle for this one instead of the condo, but she keeps her mouth shut.

"Camping trip," Caroline repeats. She cuts open a box labeled DAMON'S STUFF and finds a bunch of books inside. "You two can open a library."

"Between all of our books, we probably should," Elena laughs. "Why are you asking about a camping trip?"

"Tyler mentioned it this morning."

"Oh. The annual camping trip?" When it doesn't register, Elena laughs some more. "Okay, I know you're not much of an outdoors person, but we've been doing it since we were sophomores."

Right. Why does it seem dumb of her to forget? "Is Bonnie still coming? She'll be very pregnant then, you know."

"It's tradition!"

"Since when were you the pushy one? I hope this has nothing to do with the fact it's the first vacation ever as Mrs. Damon Salvatore."

"Of course it is. Only we won't have sex in the next tent unlike _some_ people."

"That was one time!"

* * *

The brunette beside her twirls her hair around her index finger and purses her perfect lips. "What do you think?"

"Very sexy," Caroline comments.

She smirks in satisfaction, does a bit of a bit of a twirl, and places her hand on her hip. "I do look smoking in it," she declares. "Tragic that it's only going to be worn here."

"As opposed to underneath the big city lights?" Caroline's eyes twinkle. This should be weird. This should be very, very wrong. But for some strange reason, it isn't. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"Honey, I don't _do_ jealousy. But I suppose I should have seen it coming," she drawls, "Damon flaunts. He has fun with the fact he's loaded and, hey, if taking precious Elena all the way to Paris to pop the question is appropriate then money's not an issue. Besides, Stefan is old-fashioned at heart. It's part of his charm."

"And you aren't?"

"I flow with the times." Satisfied, she unzips the back and slips her perfect body out of the crimson red number.

"How do you even know he's proposing?" She asks this and then laughs. The brunette flashes a smile. "Like he hasn't been waiting since the day you two met. You know how to make a man _wait_, Kathy."

* * *

It's a clear night, every star visible like dots painted against a black canvas, the moon full and white and in the center of it all.

It may be a clear night, but it is hardly an uneventful one.

There is excited chatter in the air and families and friends are gathered around picnic blankets and barbecuing and kids are running around on the grass playing tag. Familiar faces, the faces of her loved ones, ones she barely knew, even ones she didn't know at all completely surround her. It's blissful. It's magical. It's comfortable. It's everything she's not supposed to have.

His hand squeezes her and she looks down at their matching bands, squeezing back. They look into each other's eyes and it lingers.

Then he is pulling her in tightly by her waist as everyone is cheering and clinking their glasses together and her head tips as his lips slant over hers in a kiss that makes her heart skip.

* * *

(_This is how it could have been, Caroline. Things could have been perfect. The possibilities could have been endless._)

This is why she doesn't like to dream.

* * *

Her eyes flutter open to a dark ceiling. It's not hers, but it's not unfamiliar, so she sits herself up and finds her company exactly where she expects him to be.

Stefan hands her a glass of blood-laced scotch and she tries to smile. "Was that you?"

His lips curve upward and she shifts on the couch so he can sink in beside her with one arm draped along the back. "I'm not very good. I couldn't exactly tell what you were dreaming. I just knew that they were happy thoughts."

"Because you can sense them?" she guesses.

"Because you were smiling in your sleep." Grinning, he adds, "And talking."

She giggles softly. "Thanks for letting me crash here. I don't know why, it's not like I haven't been home alone dozens of times before, it's just…"

He shrugs. "You needed someone and I'm here for you, Care. You know I'll always be."

She kisses his cheek in a friendly way and he smiles because he knows this. "I think I was imagining what life might have been like if we were all human. Bonnie was pregnant with Jeremy's child, and Elena was with… and I went shopping with…" She glances as him. If she talked in her sleep then he can fill in the blanks. "It was strange. At the end, we were at some sort of party."

"A party?"

She shrugs. "A picnic? I don't know. But I saw my mom there," she explains softly, "and she was laughing and drinking. And— and Mayor Lockwood and Mrs. Lockwood were totally in love. Matt was there, too, and happy if you can believe it. Without those kicked puppy eyes. I saw Rose, too. She was there with Jenna and Rick. I think I saw Lexi."

"Lexi?" He laughs.

"I've never seen her before, I know. But I just sort of _knew_ that was her. Golden and very pretty. And laughing really loudly."

He has this fond smile on his face as he's nodding. "You just described her perfectly."

She swishes her drink and stares at the ring on her left hand that's the wrong ring and on the wrong finger. "I was married. I had twin boys and they were— they were… They were Tyler's."

He hugs her close and she tucks her head underneath his chin and feels her glass sliding between her fingers like everything else. He is shushing her sniffles and strangled cries and rubbing her arm soothingly but she feels stupid because her tears don't seem to want to stop falling.

* * *

It's a little before midnight when she heads home. Yes, her mom is still out and yes, her house is still empty, but something draws her back and she takes a detour when she's walking.

She looks up and sees the full moon staring back at her. It's the third since he'd left. She still counts the days down and marks things in her calendar and the first full moon he was gone, she screamed and cried and got no sleep, and the second full moon, she had Stefan and Damon put in stronger chains fix the gate and she locked herself in there all night.

She walks past the spot where she stood for hours that first night wondering if he was okay.

She descends the steps he had led her to when he still trusted her.

She reaches the gate she saw her mother stand at with a gun pointed at Stefan and Damon but her head turned towards Elena.

Gagging.

She hears gagging.

Her mind is racing because no one is supposed to be here and she throws it open and rushes in. And he's there coughing and his chains are rattling as he's doubling over, the water bottle slipping from his hands. She catches it before it hits the ground and she knows he can see that she's there now.

"Get out." Her hand stops trembling, stops reaching for him. "Jules, I told you to not follow me. Stay away from here. Jules, I mean it. Jules!"

_Smack!_

He's drawing in a breath as the sound echoes around the cellar and when he turns to face her she sees her hand imprinted in red on his cheek.

And he sees her, really sees her, because his eyes widening now and his cough is subsiding and all animalistic intents are wiped clean from his face.

"How—" Her voice trembles. "How_ dare _you! Tyler Lockwood, of all the—" She strangles a cry and drops to her knees, arms wrapping around him because his face contorted in pain and his back arched and his teeth clenched like he was trying not to scream because he wanted her to finish reprimanding him.

Her hands run through his hair. "Stupid."

"I know."

His muscles curl and flex. She thinks she hears a bone crack. "Jerk."

"I know." He groans. His eyes squeeze shut. "I know, I know."

"No you don't or else you wouldn't have left!" His hand reaches for her and she takes it and squeezes with all her might. "Why am I in love with such a—"

"What?" he breathes heavily. "You love Matt."

"I love you and Matt thinks I killed his sister." He gives her this look and she supplies, "A lot's happened. But what about you? You are supposed to be getting better at this! Did Jules help at all?"

"Not the way you did," he admits and his tone tells her all she needs to know about Jules and why she's not here. "And she's not nearly as hot as you are. I can't look at her and think I'm in heaven instead of burning in the depths of hell."

"When morning comes you are so _getting_ hell."

"I can live with that." She doesn't bother to notice how the pain has gone away for now because he uses this lapse of silence to kiss her.

His bare skin against hers burns and she growls lowly and yanks her jacket and scarf off that she had thrown over her pink slip before seeking out Stefan, their lips never breaking their heady, hungry kiss. His fingers are running through her hair and hers are ghosting over the contours of his abs and the curves of his biceps and she wonders how she survived three months without him.

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**A/n.** I don't know the details about how vampires are able to manipulate dreams so sorry for any inaccuracies to how it's done in the series.

This little prompt has been eating away at me for a while and I need to get the Tyler/Caroline out of my system because I'm sure you'll all agree with me when I whine about how much I miss Tyler and the Tyler/Caroline and how much I really hate Matt and kind of Jules right now and how Tyler just needs to come home and they need to make-out and make-up.

Sorry for my ranting.

_So you read it. Love it? Hate it? Please review it!_


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